Computer Glitch Causes Air-Travel Delays
Posted on: Sunday, 1 August 2004, 06:00 CDT
DALLAS - A computer glitch grounded American Airlines and US Airways flights from coast to coast Sunday morning, causing delays that were expected to last all day. American had its planes back up after two hours, while US Airways flights were grounded for about three.
Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Diane Spitaliere said the FAA was alerted to the problem, and both carriers asked the FAA's air traffic controllers to help communicate with planes to keep them on the ground until the problems were fixed.
US Airways spokeswoman Amy Kudwa said the airline's flight-operation database malfunctioned, due to "an internal technology problem." A similar problem affected American's flight plan system, grounding about 150 flights, spokesman John Hotard said.
Both airlines use a computer system hosted by Plano-based Electronic Data Systems Corp. An EDS spokesman said an "extensive internal evaluation" was under way to determine what happened.
"Right now, we can confirm that there was a system issue," EDS spokesman Jeff Baum said. "It was taken off line for about three hours to remediate."
The problem forced US Airways, based in Arlington, Va., to delay about 100 flights. Separately, a number of flights were canceled Sunday morning in Philadelphia, an airline hub, and New York because of thunderstorms.
Fort Worth-based American planned to run its full daily schedule of 2,400 flights, but delays were expected.
"All flights could run up to two hours behind," Hotard said.
Separately, a number of US Airways flights were canceled Sunday morning in Philadelphia, an airline hub, and New York because of thunderstorms.
A few incoming international flights were in the air at the time of the grounding and continued to their U.S. destinations, Hotard said.
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